Meet Fresno Leaders, Innovators, Champions, and Volunteers Making a Difference
Across Fresno and the Central Valley, problem-solvers are tackling challenges in housing, health care, education, food insecurity, the arts, and more. From nonprofit leaders and first responders to entrepreneurs, educators, artists, and teens, these Difference Makers are building a stronger, kinder, and more resilient region.
Shelter, Dignity, and Health
At Fresno Mission’s City Center, CEO Matthew Dildine is redefining what compassionate care looks like. The 9-acre campus welcomes families for meals, services, housing, and connection—designed not just to meet needs, but to restore dignity. The Mission also partners with youth-focused agencies to provide coordinated support for children and teens in crisis.
In Madera, Dr. Sony Sidhu is leading the successful reopening of the community’s only full-service hospital through a careful, phased approach. After restoring emergency services, the hospital added inpatient care, ICU, surgery, and new imaging capabilities—plus clinics to expand preventive care and health education close to home.
Education and Opportunity
Over three decades, Alcidia Freitas Gomes helped grow Fresno State’s Ag One Foundation from awarding $50,000 annually to $1 million in scholarships a year—supporting thousands of first-generation and agriculture-focused students. Strategic gifts from alumni and industry continue to open doors for the Valley’s next generation.
Philanthropy Inspired by the Needs of Our Community (PINC) unites women in hands-on service and fundraising. Under Taylor Long’s leadership, PINC raised $90,000 for a family shelter and has contributed nearly $1.5 million to local nonprofits—powered entirely by volunteers.
Innovation for Public Good
Field Van began by customizing road-trip rigs; today, it’s building mobile solutions for public agencies. With the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools, the company created STEM and mobile therapy vans—complete with meeting spaces and activity areas—to bring resources directly to rural campuses. Other agencies deploy highly customized vans for probation services, crisis response, and more, including electric models with county-wide range.
Cybersecurity firm 9sight 2020, founded by Navy veterans Frank Nein and Loel Wood, is assembling a Fresno-based threat-hunting workforce to combat fraud, exploitation, and online crime. Their vision includes hiring veterans and local analysts into high-skill, high-wage roles and building a cybersecurity hub in the Valley.
Homes and Neighborhoods
Fresno Housing, led by CEO Tyrone Roderick Williams, goes beyond vouchers to build and manage high-quality affordable homes. Heritage Estates—33 single-family homes for families earning 50%–80% of area median income—advances homeownership and generational wealth. With the first phase of the Fulton Forum underway downtown, the agency continues to develop housing while navigating shifting federal funding and serving more than 11,000 local households with vouchers.
Veterans and First Responders
Play-by-play voice and community champion Paul Loeffler helped launch Central Valley Honor Flight, which has flown more than two thousand veterans to Washington, D.C., for long-overdue recognition. The flights unite the community and provide healing—especially for Vietnam-era veterans who never received a proper welcome home.
In Tulare County, Deputy Sabin Henderson drew on EMT training to perform CPR during a late-night emergency, helping save a life. His message to peers and the public is simple: act decisively, then care for your own wellness and family so you’re ready for the next call.
Arts, Culture, and Sport
At the Fresno Art Museum, executive director and chief curator Michele Ellis Pracy has strengthened exhibitions and education, championing field trips and accessible programming while stewarding a lean budget. The collection includes prized works like Diego Rivera’s “Fiesta,” and the museum remains a vital cultural anchor for the city.
As the Fresno Grizzlies’ visiting clubhouse attendant, Firebaugh native Julian Banda welcomes aspiring pros to the city with first-class hospitality. A two-time league award winner, he’s part concierge, part problem-solver—showcasing Fresno while keeping visiting teams game-ready.
Community Spirit
After losing her son to violence, Stephanie Tallez turned grief into advocacy, organizing alongside other parents to push for changes to juvenile justice policy and to support families navigating unimaginable loss.
California Odyssey’s under-14 girls captured a national soccer title after years of perseverance. Following a heartbreaking loss the season prior, the Clovis-based team returned to win it all in a penalty shootout—an achievement born of grit, trust, and community support.
On Thanksgiving, BenSmokin BBQ owner Bernard Mendoza and his family opened their Tower District restaurant to anyone in need, serving a free holiday meal. Donations, volunteers, and local businesses rallied to transform a simple idea into a citywide celebration of generosity.
Pastor Andy White’s “Giving Truck” brings pay-it-forward coffee to festivals and neighborhood gatherings, turning everyday purchases into moments of kindness and conversation—church beyond walls, one cup at a time.
Health Tech and the Next Generation
Fresno State clinician and professor Dr. Nupur Hajela is advancing access to care with immersive virtual reality for Parkinson’s rehabilitation and mobile health outreach. Through a pro-bono clinic and cross-campus collaborations, she mentors students to apply emerging technologies in real-world settings and is helping build an interdisciplinary hub for digital health innovation.
Seventeen-year-old Jack Roberts is restoring the Valley’s endemic ecology by planting native Valley Oaks at schools and community spaces. He’s organizing student volunteers, partnering with educators, and pursuing research to help native species—and environmental stewardship—take root again.
Why It Matters
These leaders prove that big ideas, humble service, and steady work can reshape a region. They are building homes and hospitals, strengthening families, honoring veterans, elevating the arts, protecting people online, and inviting all of us to pitch in. Together, they’re creating the Fresno we want to live in—one act of generosity, one innovation, one save, and one planted tree at a time.
